There are times when Marcella Kovac leaves the house in an outfit that just doesn't work.

"Sometimes, I'll wake up in the morning and I'll still be squinting when I pick out my clothes," she joked. "Later on, I'll say to myself, `What am I wearing?!' "

But the 32-year-old Bridgeport resident and graphic designer has come to expect the occasional wardrobe mismatch; it's a risk that comes with her daring approach to pattern and color combinations.

Kovac might marry a bright graphic T-shirt with a funky patterned pant, or a neon pink dress with a denim blazer, or a kitten print tank top with an orange skirt.

"My style is funky," Kovac said. "I go with bold statements."

Kovac, who was manning the desk at B:Hive Bridgeport recently, sported a Michelle Obama graphic T-shirt by Paradox Ink (the business name of Bridgeport artist Liz Squillace), Paige herring bone print pants, black flip-flops from the Gap and a pink bracelet that a friend bought her in Mexico.

Gleaming bright blue in the afternoon sun, Kovac's wheels -- a fixed-gear, single-speed bike by Sole -- went right with her outfit.

As an artist and graphic designer, Kovac is drawn to "things that are more design-oriented, things that I would make for myself.

"I like to be creative in every facet of my life," added Kovac, a co-owner of the Bridgeport-based creative agency the Bananaland.

Usually, that translates to an amalgam of unique patterns and colors -- combinations that work, most of the time.

Said Kovac: "I gravitate toward the bubbly, positive, fun side of things."